Pittsburgh Public Schools School Bus Driver Guide
No CDL needed. Pittsburgh's private carriers hire you and train you for a CDL, with pay up to $26/hr.
🎁 Limited-time: + free Pennsylvania CDL Passenger & School Bus study guide
Pittsburgh Public Schools is the second-largest district in Pennsylvania, enrolling about 17,900 students in 54 schools in Allegheny County. It runs roughly 982 daily bus trips, and every one is operated by a private carrier: the district contracts with 21 carriers, including Krise Transportation, First Student, Myers, Sierra, Briggs, and Roenigk. The district does not employ School Bus Drivers, and its transportation page carries a Now Hiring Bus Drivers banner. In fall 2021 a shortfall of about 420 drivers delayed the start of the school year by two weeks.
So you apply to a carrier, not the district. The carriers hire applicants without a CDL, and Krise advertises free CDL training with no CDL required at entry. Drivers are represented by the Teamsters. This page covers how to choose a carrier, the pay Krise lists for PPS routes, the guaranteed hours, and the details to confirm before you commit.
Pittsburgh Public Schools at a glance
The essentials, pulled from official sources. The full pay tables, the exact application walkthrough, and the school calendar are in the guide.
How to become a School Bus Driver for Pittsburgh Public Schools
The path in order. The guide expands every step with the exact forms, links, and figures for Pittsburgh Public Schools.
Confirm you qualify before you apply
You need a valid driver's license, a driving record that meets the carrier's safe-driver standards, and the ability to earn a Pennsylvania Class B CDL with Passenger (P) and School Bus (S) endorsements. Pennsylvania sets the minimum age at 18 and no statewide experience minimum. DUIs, serious moving violations, and suspensions are disqualifying. A high school diploma or GED is preferred, not required.
Pick a carrier and apply to it directly
PPS drivers apply per carrier, not through the district. The district publishes its carrier list on its Transportation page, and the largest hiring contacts include Krise (7035 Saltsburgh Rd., 412-815-2250), First Student North (412-322-4449), First Student South (412-431-8747), Myers (412-646-2320), Sierra (412-331-0202), Briggs (412-290-7639), and Roenigk in McKees Rocks (412-331-3974). Compare pay, hours, and terminal location before you choose.
Interview with the carrier
Carriers hire through their own postings, and no 2026 job fairs specific to PPS drivers were found. Expect practical questions about reliability, safe driving, and managing students. Ask the carrier for the next training class start date and the exact weekly hours.
Clear the post-offer screenings
After a conditional offer you complete three Pennsylvania clearances (Act 34 State Police, Act 151 child abuse history, Act 114 FBI fingerprints), a DOT 5-panel drug screen, a DOT physical with a Medical Examiner's Certificate, and the annual Pennsylvania DL-704 school bus physical. Who pays the clearance costs, applicant or carrier, was not published, so confirm with the carrier before you budget.
Earn your CDL in the carrier's training
Krise advertises free CDL training with no CDL required at entry. You complete classroom work, pass the CDL knowledge exams, train behind the wheel to satisfy the federal Entry-Level Driver Training rule, and pass the three-part skills test in a School Bus. The trainee hourly rate and the program length in weeks were not consistently published, so get both in writing before you start.
Ride with a trainer, then drive solo
After you are licensed, you ride your route with an experienced trainer until you know it, then drive solo. Once driving, Krise guarantees 25 hours a week, and activity runs, extra routes, and charters add pay. Drivers are contractor employees represented by the Teamsters, with no PSERS pension.
What's in the full Pittsburgh Public Schools guide
35+ pages, twelve chapters, written in plain English — everything above in full detail, plus the parts that change year to year.
Right now, includes a free Pennsylvania CDL Passenger & School Bus endorsement study guide — the exact material on the two written tests, so you pass the first time. Bundled with your Pittsburgh Public Schools guide at no extra cost, for a limited time.
The real pay tables
Every step of the Pittsburgh Public Schools pay scale, benefits, and the split-shift schedule — the numbers that decide if this fits your life.
The application, walked through
Exactly what to submit and which documents to attach, so you are not knocked out on a technicality.
The interview
The three things every interviewer is really asking, and what to highlight. (Free in the sample.)
Screenings & paid CDL training
Every screening after your offer, who pays for what, and how you are trained toward your CDL.
The school calendar
This year's Pittsburgh Public Schools calendar — work days, holidays, and breaks — so you know your real schedule.
Managing a bus full of kids
The passenger-management techniques veteran drivers swear by. (Also free in the sample.)
See inside before you buy
A few real pages from the manual — the interview and passenger-management chapters — so you can judge the quality yourself.
Pittsburgh Public Schools bus driver questions
Does Pittsburgh Public Schools hire its own School Bus Drivers?
No. PPS contracts its bus service to 21 private carriers, and drivers are carrier employees. The district's Pupil Transportation office at 412-529-5947 is the contact named on its Now Hiring Bus Drivers banner, but you apply to a carrier. Terminals include Krise, First Student North and South, Myers, Sierra, Briggs, and Roenigk.
How much do Pittsburgh School Bus Drivers make?
Krise's postings for PPS routes list pay of up to $26.00 an hour. Krise's other Pittsburgh-area terminals have advertised higher bands, such as $26.65 to $28.70, but those are different routes, so confirm the PPS rate with the carrier. Drivers are represented by the Teamsters, which negotiates pay and working conditions with the contractors.
What benefits do Pittsburgh carriers offer?
Krise's postings list company-paid life insurance ($15,000), an Employee Assistance Plan, and voluntary dental and vision plans, with nights, weekends, holidays, and summers off. No medical plan or 401(k) is detailed in the Krise posting, and contractor drivers are not PSERS members. No sign-on bonus was stated on the PPS postings, so ask the carrier what is in effect.
What's the free CDL study guide?
For a limited time, every district guide comes bundled with a free study guide for your state's CDL Passenger and School Bus endorsements — the two written tests you'll take. It covers exactly what's on those tests so you can pass the first time, at no extra cost.
Is this an official guide from the School District?
No. It is an independent preparation guide, not affiliated with or endorsed by any School District. It organizes the public information into one clear manual so you do not have to dig for it.
How do I get the guide after I pay?
Instantly. Checkout takes about a minute, then you get a download link on the screen and by email. It is a PDF you can open on any phone, tablet, or computer and keep.
Get hired in Pittsburgh Public Schools.
The whole hiring process in one guide — pay, forms, contacts, and the calendar, all in order.